414  GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
injections  are  superior  to  similar  preparations  in  which  distilled 
water  or  rose  water  are  used  in  lieu  of  the  copaiba  water. 
Copaiba  water  is  prepared  by  simply  distilling  water  along 
with  copaiba,  and  separating  the  supernatent  volatile  oil.  A 
metallic  still  is  to  be  preferred  owing  to  the  bumping  that  occurs 
in  a  glass  retort. 
Administered  internally,  its  effects  are  like  those  of  copaiba, 
but  milder.  It  has  been  prescribed  in  quantities  of  four  to  six 
ounces  per  diem,  with  a  few  drops  of  cherry  laurel  water  to  cover 
its  taste.  It  is  taken  with  less  repugnance  and  has  never  caused 
pain  in  the  kidneys,  frequently  produced  by  ordinary  copaiba. 
— (Gazette  des  Hospitaux,  and  Kep.  de  Pharm.] 
On  the  relative  value  of  Extracts  from  different  parts  of  plants, 
— M.  Hirtz,  in  studying  the  causes  of  variation  in  the  therapeu- 
tic power  of  medicines,  has  made  a  series  of  comparative  experi- 
ments on  the  medicinal  power  of  the  extracts  of  several  narcotics, 
etc.  To  procure  the  extracts,  he,  in  each  instance,  extracted 
the  drug,  reduced  to  powder  by  displacement  with  alcohol  of  65 
per  cent.  Evaporated  the  liquors  to  a  soft  extract,  and  treated 
this  with  alcohol  of  80  per  cent.  The  liquid  thus  obtained  was 
then  evaporated  at  140^  F.  till  a  second  extract  was  obtained. 
The  following  are  the  results,  viz  : 
Extract  of  Aconite  root  is  to  that  of  the  leaves  as      25  to  1 
"        Root  of  Belladona  to  that  of  the  leaves  as   5  to  1 
t«        Seeds  of  Conium  to  that  of  the  leaves  as    10  to  1 
«        Seeds  of  Digitalis  to  that  of  the  leaves  as   10  to  1 
"        Seeds  of  Henbane  to  that  of  the  leaves  as  10  to  I 
Seeds  of  Stramonium  to  that  of  the  leaves  as  5  to  1 
M.  Hepp,  Pharmacien  of  Strasburg,  in  some  experiments  on 
the  Seeds  of  Conium  and  Digitalis,  obtained  results,  which  in  his 
opinion,  did  not  corroborate  the  views  of  Mr.  Hirtz,  rather 
showing  less  comparative  power  in  the  seed  than  is  stated  by  the 
latter  (Gaz.  Med.  de  Strasb.  and  Rep.  de  Pharm.) 
